Improvement in mechanism for operatietg  booms of vessels



PATENTED @niet @Wire JAMES M. WISE, OF WILMINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA.v

Letters Patent No. 105,256, dated J 1173/ lf2, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT IN MECHANISM POR OPERATING BOOMS. OE' VESSELS;

The Schedule referred to in these Letters latent and making part f the same To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES M. WISE, of Wilmng! ton, in the county of New Hanover and State of North Carolina, have invented 'a new and useful Mechanism for Operating Booms andI do hereby declare the following to be a clear and enact description of the nature thereof, sufficient to enable others skilled iu the art to which my invention appertains to fully understand and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing making part ot' this specification, in wbich Figure I is a side view of the device illustrating my invention. f

lFigure 2 is a top or plan view thereof.

Figure 3 is a perspective V view thereof; showing its application to a vessel. f

AMy invention 'consists in means forv assisting the operation of regulating booms offvcssels, and also in the' brake mechanism therefor. In the drawingj- A represents adams-work, by preference of metal,

and supporting the journals of the shaft's of three or more drums or rollers, B O D, which, in the. present case, extend longitudinally with the vessel. The drum B is for the main sheet E, and thc other rollers for the crotch-ropes F F.

A toothed wheel, G, is formed with or connected to the drum B, and meshes with a similar but smaller wheel, H, secured to a shaft, J, which is likewise mounted on-thc frame-work A. This shaft extends beyond its bearings, and has connected to it a clank or crank-wheels and handles K.

The end of' the shaft ofthe druui B carries a ratch et-wheel, L, against the teeth of which operates a pawl, M, having a suitable handle or lever, which will rest in the notches of a resting plate, m, on the fraaie A.- The ratchetwbeel and pawl could be substituted by a pulley and brake, tho purpose of which willl be hereinafter explained..

N are coiled springs, which'are adapted to wind up and unwind with the rotations f' the drums D C, whichcarn'y the crotch-ropes, and for'this purpose I 'secure the ends of each spring, respectively, to the frame-work A and the shafts of said drums.

The main sheet Il) is connected to the boom O of a vessel, l), and runs through ordinary blocks Q, and

-the croteh-ropes arc connected to the boom, and run through blocks a b, located, by preference, in the cor nels ot' the stern of the vessel. It R represent double ratchet-wheels, cach of which consists of' two ratchet-wheels placed side by side, butv having their teeth to extend in reverse order. 'lhese double. ratchet-'s are secured tothe shafts ofthe crotchrope drums C I), and rotate therewith. S S are double pawls, which are pivotcd to the frame-work A, and are so constructed that their heads will ride over the doublek ratchet-wheels,that isfto say, each double pawl has onclhead to engage` with the outer ratchet ofthe doublemtclet, and the-Other head to engagewith the ii'rne'r'ratchet thereof.v

Connecting-rods T arc'pivoted at or. abbutthe niid`' dlc ofthe double pawls, entend` toward eaohother, and arc jointed to the ends'f`' swinging lever,- U,

which is hinged vto thc frame-workA: f Anopcrating lever, Y, is attached to lever U, and its handleoccupies a positionwithinzconvenicutdistance from thc-crank-wheel K. i A folding plate, W, is connected totlieiiarnewofm and is arranged in relation-to the lever'w, injord'er to. hold't-he latter iu three or morejostlongnd for this purpose .three notches are formed in saidplate; g

`In manipulating theflever 'ifisf dropped into the jmiddle notch ;l the ends of' both Vpawls are free from; contact with the double ratc'h'ets'.`-.I f ltis`doppedinto the lower notch, the t'ipper hezids of the pawls engage with the outer ratchets of the doubleratchets 'thus drums C-l) are held firmly, and thus the'crotch-ropes cannot unwind. It .it dropped into the upper-notch,

the lower' heads of the pawls engage withthe iupee ratchet, and the crotch-ropes cannotbe wound up.

Rollers c d e f should be properlylocated to` allow.. the free movement ofthe sheet and crotelnropcs, and prevent chafing and rubbing. v The device thus described isplaccd in the sternof the vessel, andan opening,` X, allows the projection through and the management of the tiller. The operation is as follows: The bcousO is midship, as shown in fig. 3. Sup'- pose it be 'desired to run before the wind.' In this case the boom will occupy a position as exhibitedv by the dotted lines. To accomplish this result, the steersman or helmsman raises the pawl M, thereby freeing the drum B, and, at the saine time, throws the lever .V-into the middle notch ofthe plate l As thc wind catches the'sail itswings out, carries the boom and draws the main sheet and crotch-ropes' with it. As soon as-it has run out to the full extent, thc pawl M is dropped and` thelev'er V thrown into the lower notch of plate lV. This tends to look the three drums, and prevents any further playing out of the sheet and ropes. It will be perceived that the springs N have b'ecn coiled on the shafts of drums D 0 owingto the rotation of 'said shaft caused by the draft on the crotch-ropes and their consequent uu winding.

. Suppose it be desired to bring in the boom orerotoh it for re'cfing; in this case the lever U is thrown into the middle notch of the plate, and crank-wheel K ro tatcd, so as to wind up the main sheet-,and thereby draw in said sheet, and consequently the boom 0.

' This operation is assist'cdbv the reaction of the springs N, which nncoilthemselves, impart corresponding mo.

. tions to the drums O D, an'd haul in andwind up' the Vcrotch-ropes, vno manual labor being required therefor, excepting the manipulations of the paw] and lever as aforesaid. i As soon as the sheet and ropes are hauled in fully,

' or to tlieir desired extent, the pawi M engages Vwith the ratchet L and holds the main sheet, the helmsman -meanwhl .c raises the lever U,tlno\rs. it iiitotlie top notch of ,the plate W,'a|ul thus'lo'cks the drums C D,

so as to ,prevent the-unwinding of the crotch-ropes,V vhereb \,r running out of saidi'opes and'boom cannot.

result. ,Thus the boom may ber'espcctivcly operated, the njode,4 being-secure, economical, powerful, and easily managed, and

attende withgreat dangerto seamen.

v I design covering the operating parts with suitable a boxing or canvas, but do not` limit myself, thereto.

-In some cases I may run a rope from theeid oi' the one especially important forl housin' in case of' storm .at sea, which is always` boom when dead ahead to the ,sideV of the boat, as shown, to prevent swinging of boom.

What-Iciaim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is l 1. The double ratchet-wheels R lt, double pawls 4S S, connecting-rods T T, swinging lever U, single-armed lever V, and notchedplate W, combined and operating substantially as described.'

:2; The drumsB O D, springsN N amlcrank-wheel 1 3; The'drumsB'Q D, springs N N, crank,-wheel1 double ratchet-wheels R, double pawls S, and lever V,

'combined and operating Vsubstantially as described.

JOHN A. WrDEnsimmr,

'JAMES L. Nomis.

lK,1eomb"ne, l, andoperating for hauling .in the boom, l.substantially as described. 

